Instead of salary, hike MPLAD funds: Shanta requests govt

Veteran BJP leader and former union minister Shanta Kumar on Monday urged the government to enhance the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) Funds, instead of increasing the salaries and perks of Parliamentarians.

punjabUpdated: Jul 06, 2015 20:08 IST

HT Correspondent None

Veteran BJP leader and former union minister Shanta Kumar on Monday urged the government to enhance the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) Funds, instead of increasing the salaries and perks of Parliamentarians.

In a statement issue here, the Kangra MP said after countrywide criticism on the subsidies on Parliament canteen, the members now would have to face public wrath on salary hike.

Maximum members, Shanta said, were from the medium and high class society and adequate facilities were already being provided to them. Besides, salaries provided were sufficient to meet their daily needs.

Stating that the 125 crore people of the country had equal right on the exchequer of India, Shanta said, "We are the representatives of a country where crores of people are down with hunger and poverty. People send us expectations that we will end darkness of poverty from their lives."

Chairman of the committee (which recommended the hike) Yogi Aditya Nath was a respectable member of the Parliament, said Shanta, and I urge him to review and justify the decision in view of SwaniVivekanand's "Daridernarayan" and Mahatma Gandhi's Antyodya Mantra.

Maintaining that government could consider extending some facilities to the MPs, Shanta suggested that the MPLAD fund should be increased in larger public interest.

"Before the start of monsoon session of the Parliament, both issues should be resolved by withdrawing subsidy of the Parliament canteen and stopping the discussions on salary hike of parliamentarians," said Shanta who earlier, too, had demanded to scrap subsidy for Parliament canteens.